By Perseverance the Snail Reached the Ark

by | Jan 23, 2009 | Charles Spurgeon | 0 comments

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” – Charles Spurgeon

And by perseverance you will reach your goal as well. Who has accomplished anything immediately, the moment they set out to accomplish it? As a matter of fact, most of the time when fame or glory for something comes too quickly for someone, they falter in its light because they feel guilty for not having worked hard enough or long enough to achieve their goal. They don’t feel like they deserve it. And they have to work hard to prove to themselves and others that, while they didn’t deserve it initially, they will earn it after the fact.

The key in all this is to understand when to persevere and when to give up. Sometimes giving up is the wise thing to do. I tried for 8 years to get a full-time college level teaching job in art during the 80s and 90s in California. At year 9 I gave up and retrained myself to be a computer artist, moved to Oklahoma to take an entry level job as a jr. illustrator and animator. Two years later I was the Art Director and Producer of a series of educational CDroms for kids at that same company. I had to give up on one dream so I could find the level of success, accomplishment and financial support I needed for myself and my family. In the meanwhile though I never stopped being the one thing I have always been, that is an artist. The dimensions and media changed, but not the ideas or the passion.

So, here are a series of questions to help you reach the ark, or to decide if you even want to get on that particular ark.

  • Are you persevering in your goal?
  • Do you have good evidence that it is a realistic goal? I don’t mean all your friends and family think it is, I mean objectively do YOU have the talent and ability to accomplish this thing you want to accomplish, even if it is an outlandish idea?
  • Are you getting distracted by other, less important things?
  • Are you willing to sacrifice pleasures in time and focus for your goal?
  • Are you making the personal connections and networks you need to reach that goal?
  • Are you making a list and checking it twice?
  • Are you seeing the big picture but focusing on the individual steps?

Answer those questions and you will have a much better grip on where you are in your efforts and if they have a chance to succeed.

Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

Humility is to Make a Right Estimate of One’s Self

by | Mar 25, 2008 | Charles Spurgeon, Humility - 2012 | 0 comments

I wrote this quote to my daughters in response to seeing so much false (and useless) humility within the church. So many seem to feel the necessity to condemn themselves due to the ‘original sin’ idea. They are afraid of appearing prideful if they say they like themselves, or are proud of themselves and so they go the opposite direction and say they aren’t the ones behind any success, it’s Jesus or God that did it, or that they still have so many issues, etc. that any success they have isn’t really worth bragging about.

I love that Spurgeon (a christian writer of old) says it in all its simplicity. Know yourself and be honest about yourself and you will have humility. That includes being courageous enough to state your talents and skills and accomplishments. They are as real as your faults.

“Humility is to make the right estimate of one’s self.” – Charles Spurgeon